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Sunday, May 31, 2015

Good morning! I hope your weekend is treating you well so far. We are supposed to get some rain today that we desperately need! I'm actually looking forward to it! Rainy days are good stamping days. :)

Today I have for you a new Can You Case It? Challenge. This week is a sketch week, so the colors are up to you! Here is the sketch and my card:

I chose to use two new in-colors - Tip Top Taupe and Mint Macaron. Love this combo :)

A simple sketch and a simple card! No excuse not to try. Hope to see you over at CYCI this week!

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Check this out! The new challenge page that I've participated in over the last few weeks is celebrating their "first month anniversary" with an end of the month remix! This is how it works: First head on over to TGIF Challenges - Then pick two of the four challenge themes and mix them together for an all new project. Pretty cool, huh? I didn't have much time to think about this one. We have family visiting in a few hours and my craft room is our guest room - so I had to make something quick and clean up! But, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Sometimes you just got to roll with it and not think too much :)

For this card, I combined the colors of the first challenge (Calypso Coral, Pool Party and Crushed Curry) and the sketch/layout of the second challenge.

And quite honestly when I started out, for some reason I had three of the challenges in mind. So technically, you could throw in a third challenge and say that the "Enjoy the Adventure Ahead" goes along with "graduation" theme.

Maybe I'll get a bonus point? haha!

This bike is from Life's Adventures and it will sadly move to my "retired" stash next week. The good news is, the new hostess sets are just as awesome!

I sponged and colored the stars for the background. It definitely needed something, and I wasn't diggin' an embossed layer with the DSP. Lots of dimensionals on this card too!

The inside is simple but still fun!

So there you have it! Of course I'd want you to try the challenge with me, but then my odds of winning a prize would be worse.

Yes, I said prize… They're giving away a prize pack worth $25+ to the winner! Sounds like a great bonus to me!

Friday, May 29, 2015

Happy Friday everyone!! I woke up to see that I was the "Fab Fave" over at Fab Friday Challenges. You can see it here! What an honor! I had a ton of fun with that card too. =)

Today I have a few cards to share with you featuring a fun new set called Sprinkles of Life. It is the new Ronald McDonald House Charities stamp set. It's a photopolymer set that has a coordinating punch. It is an adorable set! And the best part - for every set that is sold through Stampin' Up!, $3 will be donated to the RMHC.

This first card makes me hungry! - A little ice cream fun!

Each scoop was stamped in versamark ink and embossed with clear emboss powder.

Isn't this stamp set cute? :)

If you can't quite see the sentiment, it says "Hope your day stacks up to be one good thing on top of another." This seemed like a perfect sentiment to go with another stamp set I have - Boys Will Be Boys! I know my 3 boys are constantly stacking blocks, so to me it fit!

It's too late to take more pictures because I already gave this card away, but I notice now that they're a little over exposed. I did however color the blocks with 4 of the new in-colors. The striped paper is new too - this color is Cucumber Crush.

This is what I love about Stampin' Up! - the variety of stamps is amazing. You can make many different cards within a set, but then you can have some fun and mix and match. So much versatility!

Speaking of fun, Eli stamped with me yesterday afternoon. Yesterday was our sweet little neighbor's 6th birthday and our 4 year wanted to make her a card. When we were finished he headed towards the steps. As I followed him, he turned around and said "no mom, you stay here. I'm going to give her the card by myself!" :) He was so cute (and yes... I followed him)! He walked across the yard with the card behind his back. After she smiled at it, she ran and showed the card to her mom. He swung around with a huge smile and said "she likes my card!".

Yep, someone has a crush... :)

Here he is with his creation:

He cut out the cone, stamped, punched, glued and signed his name. He loves stamping!

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

This week's challenge over at TGIF Challenges is almost over and I'm just joining in, but honestly it's been quite a weekend. Friday morning my husband received a text from our landlords telling us new tenants would be moving in July 1st. We still don't know when or where we will be moving with my new job, so the plan for now is to just put everything in storage and hopefully just find temporary housing for a few months. This was quite a shock from our landlords as they told us they wouldn't rent out from underneath us until we found out when we were leaving. We just planted a garden and family was anticipating visiting. The summer is right around the corner and Eli and his neighbor are inseparable. Sure was a buzzkill to start the weekend.

My husband was out of state for a hockey tournament and I had all three boys to myself. It was a stressful weekend for sure. But then Sunday, I was quickly reminded how small my "problem" was... And reminded that God is in control.

Last year I met a girl named April. April is in her early 30s with a husband and 3 little girls. She gave her testimony in church last year and I found out that she was battling cancer.

This past Sunday was different though. Here is the news shared this Sunday:

Thank you all for your love and prayers. From this early afternoon; "No evidence of metastatic disease. All clear." AMEN AMEN! I believed it in my heart but it is still so amazing to hear the doctors say it too. Let's just rewind a moment to 18 months ago from Mass General (to sum it up) -"You have metastatic breast cancer,stage 4 (terminal), the fastest growing and most aggressive type. We will try chemos until they do not work anymore and you have about 2 years to live." or "We do not do mastectomies on metastatic patients." or "You will have to be on hormone therapy for the next 10 years."Now-18 months later and different doctors but the ONE true doctor: ALL CLEAR- NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE!! Amen amen!I am so humbled and grateful to our loving and merciful God, and to all you who have helped, loved, prayed and believed with us. I will never be told that I am in "remission" like a normal cancer patient because of my particular diagnosis, but I do not go by their reports anyway. Call it what you want, but for us it is simply our amazing miracle. There is so other explanation and we need no other one-we knew from the beginning who we were believing and calling upon when the doctors and world say it is not possible. With God all things are possible.We do not always know why we go through things or even understand it, but we do not have too. From one of my favorite verses which is on my bracelet; Proverbs 3;5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths." I do not understand always, but I do trust Him always. In our suffering we are often taught things we could not otherwise learn, and this is not a journey I certainly would have chosen. However, would I do it again to give Him all the praise and glory and draw others perhaps closer to Him? Absolutely. I am just so thankful that it is His will for me to be healed here and now, in this world we live in. We will all be healed one beautiful day in heaven if we believe in Him and call on Him, but I am so thankful that He has chosen to heal me here as well. Please do not stop praying, as I know this has made all the difference. We will forever be grateful to all of you for that. Our girls do not know the magnitude of the miracle that we have been granted, but one day they will. They will find out just what faith can do.Love and God bless, April

---

Sure makes my house issue seem small! I'm so incredibly happy for April and her family!

Such amazing faith.

Such an AMAZING WOMAN!

So I decided I wanted to make April a card. I wanted her to know how amazing I think she is and how I admire her faith in Jesus. So here's how I was inspired by this week's TGIF Challenge.

I knew immediately that I wanted to use Painted Petals and decided on these colors. Painted Petals is one of my recent favorites and I will dearly miss it!

For the roses I colored them with Pink Pirouette, Calypso Coral and Rich Razzleberry markers. The yellow background is three shades of yellow stamped on an acrylic block and spritzed with water.

I used the chevron washi for the front and inside. The words I wanted to cut up - love that look! A few pearls and lace doily to make it girly ;)

I can't wait to send this out! We love you April and we are continuing to pray for you!

...

And now for my Ten Minute Tuesday post :)

I had to make a gift for my niece's teacher. Since I already had the inks out, I figured I would just continue using them. I stamped the hydrangea with Tip Top Taupe, but the rest of the colors are the same as above.

I made each banner a different color.

And then I made her just plain cards without a sentiment. I stamped the flower first in Pink Pirouette, then a little Calypso Coral and rocked the edges with Rich Razzleberry. I added the So Saffron splatter for a fun detail.

Now obviously the crumb cake cards are the Ten Minute Tuesday cards as these ones took a lot longer.

Thanks for joining me late tonight! Please keep April and her family in your thoughts. If you'd like to mail her a card too, you can find info at www.help4april.com :)

I'm so excited to show you this page I made this weekend! I have been waiting (for too long) to start scrapbooking, but recently purchased some of the Project Life kits offered through Stampin' Up! (PLxSU). I'm so anxious to dive deeper into the memory keeping so I hope that this very first page motivates me! I was intimidated looking at those who have been doing this for years, that I kept putting it off. I'm so glad I gave it a try!

Here is sweet Eli. He wanted to know why I put pictures of him on the paper.

I printed these pictures a couple months ago and knew that I wanted to display the pictures of Eli in action, but didn't quite have the paper or layout in my mind. This weekend I sat down to stamp and this all came together!

For the base I chose Kraft cardstock and paired it with the new Mint Macaron Envelope Paper. I stamped the large piece of Mint Macaron with the coral stamp from By the Tide.

For the corner details, I added a few accessories from the Moments Like These accessories kit. This is a new set/PLxSU kit you can order June 2nd!

I added a journaling card from the Moments Like These card kit.

If you haven't guessed yet, the sandcastles are made with the Handpicked Framelits. I used the gardening shovel and the small planter to make the sandcastles and the buckets. Aren't the cute? :)

I hope you enjoyed this! There will be more! I promise! :)

Check back later tonight for Ten Minute Tuesday! (that is if I get 10 minutes today)

Below are the products used for this page. The PLxSU kit used is called Moments Like These and it will be available in ONE WEEK!

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Happy Sunday everyone! There is a new challenge over at Can You Case It and I hope that you join us this week! We are saying farewell to the beloved 2013-2015 in-colors... Goodbyes are so hard.

In addition to picking two of the in-colors, why not add some gold? :)

Today I have for you some (obvious) soon-to-be oldies but goodies PLUS a new flower from one of the new stamp sets coming June 2nd!

This flower (which looks like a hydrangea to me) is from a new hostess set called Best Thoughts. It is a beautiful set in its entirety - just trust me! The sentiment is from Six Sided Sampler -- a set I need to use more often!

A simple inside as usual. :)

So there you have it! I hope this has inspired you to play with these in-colors one more time! Head on over to CYCI and join us this week!

I hope you enjoy your weekend too and have the chance to spend tomorrow with family. We are going to a parade in town today after church. As a veteran, this weekend certainly brings out the pride in my heart for those who gave their lives for our freedom. I did experience a few losses of fellow Airmen while I served and I will never forget the men or their families and their sacrifice.

Saturday, May 23, 2015

My husband is playing hockey this weekend in an Armed Services tournament. He's playing with one of his best friends that we met while we were stationed in Alaska. Kyle always says how much he misses my baking - particularly my brownies - so I wanted to surprise Kyle with some treats. Plus baking and stamping make me happy!

I'm not sure how good these will be for his stamina, but I'm thinking a (post game) snack will be fine! :)

Before I get to the stamped projects, let me just share with you this yummy Blueberry Banana Bread. I found it on pinterest and it was pretty tasty! I made two loaves because I had a lot of bananas to use up, so I thought I would send some bread with my husband to share.

Look at the sweet sugar sprinkled on top! Good thing I went running :)

For the bag of banana bread, I used the Angled Topper punch. Make sure you grab one while you can because they're retiring! The die-cut letters are also retiring which was a total bummer. I got them in the mail the same day the retiring list came out. It was my half price item. Yuck! BUT... there's lots of NEW stuff on this tag too! Like those little stitched looking lines? Yep, new set. It's called Bohemian Borders and you can order it June 2nd! I stamped the borders in Cucumber Crush (new in-color) & Pacific Point and added a "splash" of Tangelo Twist.

Now for Kyle's favorite brownies I wrapped the box in the new Envelope Paper.

The sentiments are from "Num Num" and the Alphabet Rotary stamp. I love how you can make anything with that stamp!

Thank you for swinging by this Saturday! See you tomorrow for CYCI Sunday!

Thursday, May 21, 2015

I have been waiting and waiting to share these with you all! I was asked by one of my sweet friends from Vegas if I would make invitations for her daughter Stella's first birthday. I had never made invitations for someone other than a relative, so I was excited to make them! Her mom asked for light pink and golds so I had the perfect plan. I think the colors go well with this cutie pie, don't they?

The colors I chose were Crisp Cantaloupe, Very Vanilla & Gold. I also used Gold Glimmer paper & Brushed Gold CS. The first thing I did was stamp the Very Vanilla layer with the Dotty Angles. I used Crisp Cantaloue (stamped off once). Then for the details section of the card, I added the "Date, Time, Place" stamp in versamark and embossed it with gold emboss powder. (I also used this stamp for Drew's party invites - it's a great stamp to own if you make invites often. It's a retiring stamp that I will surely miss!)

Here is a shot of the "prep". I had to do a LOT of cutting for the banners. I was not complaining that I only had to make 16 invites because each card had 6 banners on them! :)

The "1" is from the Blue Ribbon stamp set and the "You're Invited" is from Four Your Party. I embossed everything in gold - even the envelope. I carried the Dotty Angles dots over to the envelope as well. I just love when things coordinate!

Now if you're wondering where the "Stellabration" came from, that would be the uh-ma-zing Alphabet Rotary stamp. This is such a wonderful addition to my stamp hoarding collection and I cannot recommend it enough!

These invites were a lot of work, but they were a lot of fun to see come together. I even joked that it made me consider trying for a girl! Either that or my future daughter-in-laws better let me do the wedding invites :)

I think my husband would prefer the latter, haha!

I wanted to package these extra special for my friend. I know I would love to have received this! I added the gold marker so she could finish the invites with an extra touch of gold.

I can't wait to see party pictures! I know Miss Stella's mom will make it look fantastic!

Happy Birthday little one! <3

-Holly

(Below are all the supplies needed for these invitations. Please note that some of these items are retiring and are while supplies last. Note: the brushed gold CS is already sold out and no longer available.)

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Sunday I finally was able to pick some of my lilacs from my backyard. Last year was our first spring living here and when I came home last May from visiting family for a week, I was surprised to see lilacs! This year I did not want to miss out on enjoying them - because they come and go so quickly!

In fact, these were already dying quicker than I had anticipated so yesterday I stopped in to see my friend Jed at Thompson's Floral and Antiques (an awesome stop if you're ever in Rhode Island). Jed had these locally grown Rhode Island lilacs and I just loved the different shades of purple and even some white...

Needless to say, they came home with me! And if you can't have flowers in a vase, the next prettiest thing is flowers wrapped in brown paper. It reminds me of someone who lives in the city and just stops on their way home from work and the florist hands them a bouquet wrapped in paper. Maybe I'm weid, but I love it!

So I thought I would make a tag for Ten Minute Tuesday and show you how quick you can make something special even more special with a personal touch!

(These weren't given away... sorry my friends! This is just for show!) :)

For the tag, I took a 2" strip of Whisper White CS and stamped the leaves from the Summer Silhouettes in Old Olive. The ribbons are both "available" but the chevron is retiring and the Old Olive is on the clearance rack. I added a little snippet of a lace doily, but the picture isn't the best.

The sentiment is from a new hostess set out of the new catalog! Sneak peeks are fun, are they not?

And for the lilacs I took a stamp from the Summer Silhouettes set and only colored part of the stamp. I love how it turned out!

So there you have it! Ten Minute Tuesday :) I think the blog writing took longer than it did to actually make the tag! Haha!

See you Thursday for some birthday invites for a princess that are adorable!